Musical Lions
by Magical Persona
Summary: Pidge and Hunk aren't happy about switching lions. Hunk loves yellow and being in Green doesn't suit him. Still, the princess felt it was necessary, so here they were.


"So, not that I'm not up for a round of Musical Lions, but I'm not up for a round of Musical Lions!" Hunk retorted over the intercom as he looked around the cockpit of the green lion. "This is just odd."

"I'm seconding that," Pidge agreed. "How do you get anything done? I never realized Yellow was so slow. I bet I could fix that if I just—"

"No! No, don't you dare touch him!" Hunk nearly shouted over the intercom. "You can make all the alterations to your lion that you want, but you do not get to change mine!"

"Focus guys," Keith's annoyance was almost hidden. "I know it's not what anyone signed up for, but we need a way to form Voltron."

"Okay, yeah I get that," Hunk replied. "You in Black and Lance in Red because she likes him more than Allura so the Princess is in Blue. But why did Pidge and I have to switch."

"It's a good building exercise," Coran piped in. "If we should lose another paladin it's best you all have some sort of bond with a lion other than your own."

"Besides!" Lance chipped in. "This is fun! I think Red has finally realized I'm a better pilot than Keith!"

This time Keith audibly sighed. "Please, can we just get this training exercise over with so we can all go back to our actual lions."

"Keith, until Shiro returns that is your lion," Allura, who had somehow been holding her tongue added. "You are the head of Voltron and as such you are the leader of the paladins."

"Just until we get Shiro back though, so don't get any ideas!" Lance snapped, though he didn't truly sound angry. Maybe annoyed, and maybe a little scared, but not angry.

Hunk wheeled Green around. If nothing else she had a sharper turn radius than Yellow, but he could see Pidge struggling.

"Pidge," Hunk had calmed down quite a bit and was now offering support. "You can't speak to Yellow in code. He reacts to feelings. He's a guardian and a protector. You have to use wanting to protect those closest to you and how you feel about them to get him to understand you."

Pidge looked around the cockpit with a frown. Those closest to them? The first person that came to mind was Matt. It wasn't that their team didn't matter, but they were safe. Well, Pidge at least knew where most of the Paladins were. The second person was Shiro. Pidge figured Keith was feeling more of that strain than anyone.

"We have to protect them?" Pidge asked the lion. They were rewarded with the sound of purring. "Okay. Thank you." Pidged urged the lion forward and the surge of pride when Yellow responded was worth all of the effort.

"You did it!" Hunk sounded proud.

Which, Pidge wouldn't lie, confused them a bit. Wasn't Hunk at all jealous that they were flying Yellow? That someone else could take the helm? Then again, it was Hunk. Other than the occasional sarcastic comment Hunk was genuinely caring and he preferred watching others succeed than having the fame himself.

Lance watched from Red's cockpit. Before his entire face lit up. "Guys! Let's try to form Voltron!"

Keith looked at the black bayard in his hand. "Why do I think he's up to something?" Still, if they could form Voltron like this they might be able to go back to their original line up sooner. "Alright, form—"

"Can I say it?" Lance asked excitedly.

"I'm in the Black Lion. I'm the leader. I get to say it," Keith replied teasingly. "Form Voltron"

"I'm the leader," Lance mimicked in annoyance, but he had no trouble going from a leg to an arm. Really, it was like walking a dog. Once the dog knew the rout you only had to be willing to follow. So, he followed Red's lead and the lion willingly formed into an arm. Unfortunately, for the other two it wasn't so easy. Well, more like for Pidge.

"I don't get it!" They complained over the com. "He doesn't want to work!"

"How are you looking at it?" Hunk asked, kindly.

"Looking at what? I'm telling him to form a leg!" Pidge snapped growing angrier by the second.

"But why do you want to form the leg?" Hunk asked. "Legs are important, they give Voltron and the team stability. You have to want to support your team. You have to be willing to give everything without expecting to be thanked or noticed. You have to put your personal wants aside and give everything to your team. That's how you form a leg."

No one could see it, but Lance was nodding sadly while something clicked in Keith's head. He pushed that thought away to be dealt with later, but he would bring it up later when he could be sure to get Lance alone.

"Pidge, are you ready to try again?" Keith asked.

"Yeah," came the rather unenthusiastic reply.

This time they all managed to form Voltron. The connection was a bit unstable and it was more like the first couple of times they had tried, but Voltron had been formed.

"Hunk! You ready?!" Lance asked excitedly.

Before Keith could even ask what they were planning on doing they dabbed. Both him and Allura sighed, but Pidge was the first one to come over the com.

"That's not fair!" They complained. "I'm the one who came up with that idea!"

"And thank you for that!" Lance said with a laugh.

"Lance!" Allura snapped over the intercom. "This is important! We need to focus! Being a Paladin of Voltron is serious! Especially now that you are more than a leg. You are the sword arm! You must be ready to cut down any opponent."

Lance's face twisted for half a second, but he quickly returned to a smile. "No worries, Princess. I know what I'm doing."

"I think that's enough work for today," Keith said before they separated. As they flew back he tried to keep a close eye on Red, or at least reach out to her to see if she could tell him what Lance was feeling, but she wouldn't open up to him. It was slightly odd, but not unexpected. She probably felt a bit betrayed by this game of Musical Lions as Hunk put it.

When they landed and were out of their armor Keith's first stop was to talk to Hunk. He caught the Yellow Paladin in the kitchen pulling out snacks he had made earlier and starting dinner.

"Hunk," Keith said, leaning against the island. "Did you mean what you said about being a leg?"

"Yes," he looked confused for a moment until the realization dawned on him. "You're worried about Lance?"

It may have been phrased like a question, but Keith knew better. Hunk wasn't blind, nor was he an idiot.

Keith nodded. "He's been acting strange since we mentioned switching lions. I know his bond is with Blue." Keith shook his head. "You don't think he'll do anything stupid do you?"

"No," Hunk said with absolute certainty. "Lance may feel like the world is out to get him, or even that no one cares, but he won't do anything that would put us in danger. He's a fighter like you."

Keith wanted to say he was wrong. He and Lance were nothing alike, but that would have been a lie. The reason he and Lance didn't always get along was because Lance saw him as a threat. He wished he could change that, but Keith had a feeling Lance saw most people as a threat.

"I should go talk to him," Keith said, more to himself.

Hunk handed a few snacks to Keith. "Take these. He's less likely to put up a fight."

Keith nodded his thanks and went to Lance's door. He stood there for longer than he wanted. What were the chances Lance would actually listen? They were lower than having the door slide back on his face. At least they couldn't slam these doors. He didn't have to worry about losing his nose.

He forced himself to knock, preparing to be turned away. When he was told to come in he was a bit surprised, but the door opened and he stepped into the room. It was neater than what he would have expected. It wasn't immaculate, but it was tidy. Lance was sitting at his desk cleaning his face.

"Hunk thought I should bring you snacks," Keith explained, presenting the tray of arranged fruits he couldn't name. "And I wanted to talk."

Lance smiled, but it wasn't real. It didn't touch his eyes let alone make them sparkle the way Keith knew they did when the Blue Paladin was truly smiling.

"Hunk always thinks of everyone else first doesn't he?" Lance asked taking a piece of fruit.

"Lance, what Hunk said about being a leg," Keith started.

"It's just how it works," Lance replied with an indifferent shrug.

"Lance," Keith's tone was a bit sharper than he'd intended. He placed the tray on Lance's desk as he tried to find the right words. "No one is more important than anyone else. It wasn't anyone's intention to make you feel that way."

"I can be replaced," Lance muttered.

"We can all be replaced," Keith pointed out. "But you saw us today. We don't know what we're doing when we're in different lions. We don't want to replace you. It wouldn't be the same. Besides, Red likes you. If we tried I'm pretty sure she'd track you down herself." Keith felt Red's purr of agreement. "Scratch that. I know she would."

Lance smiled. It was small, but this time it was genuine and Keith didn't want to admit it had his stomach in knots. Eventually, he'd have to come clean, but now was not the time for that.

"Why do you think that is?" Lance asked. "Red is the pickiest. Why would she pick someone like me?"

Keith was not about to tell him it might have something to do with the fact Keith had told Red about all of his gooshy feelings he had for Lance. That was much more embarrassing than what he chose to say.

"It's probably because she knows you're our sharp shooter," Keith replied. "You work well with her. Almost as well as I do."

Lance rose to the challenge. "I'll show you who's better. You just wait until we're in a real fight!"

Keith forced himself to glare rather than smile. "You're on."

So, Lance may not have revealed his deepest, darkest secrets, but Keith hadn't expected it. Lance still saw him as a threat. He could only hope that that would change, but there was no telling if it ever would. Either way, Lance was smiling again and that was what mattered at this moment.


End file.
